RennyBA celebrating 60 years with a look back

Turning 60 years of age gives cause for summary and reflection. A lot has happened in the world since I was born in 1952 – in the last century, even the last millennium! Growing up in a small town near the countryside without electronic toys, digital media or Internet, gave me a childhood very different from todays. It’s easy to idealize the good old days – I’ll try not to go into that trap – but it has given me a foundation which has influenced me in a way I still appreciate today:
I can never remember being bored even if we didn’t have any video games, amusement parks or youth clubs. I guess it has to do with the fact that we were our own entertainers and the woods, the forest or the mountains were our inspirational playgrounds. It’s easy to make a miniature farm with sticks and pinecones you know :-) Turning your younger sisters baby carriage into a box car was great fun too – not to mention all sport activities like football as well as skating, skiing and alpine sports. Hiking and fishing were great fun, especially when we grilled the catch of the day on the fire afterwards – these were the best weekend activities I can remember.
I would have loved to document all this in photos, but it was not that usual to have around in my childhood. However, thanks to my mother, I have an album where she has collected photos taken in my younger years. I do hope you’ll get an idea of what I am trying to share:

RennyBA as a social media enthusiast:
We’ve had big changes in all areas since I was born – especially in science and technology. I mean, I do remember when we had our first telephone installed in our house – and the manual operator. Today in nearly every corner of the world, one cannot enter a café or walk down the street without seeing someone talking, texting, or surfing the Internet on their cell phones, laptops or tablet PC. IT has become ubiquitous and is changing every aspect of how people live their lives.
Recent advances in our ability to communicate and process information in digital form – a series of developments sometimes described as an “IT revolution” – are reshaping the economies, the societies and daily lives of many people – including me. Just take a look at where to find me on the net in the box above :-)

My dear wife’s party surprise:We met on the net almost 15 years ago – she lived in the US and came over 13 years ago. We might be early adapters in using IT to find each other, but think of it: not even a psychic or a magical fairytale could think up a love story like that 60 years ago!
Today she’s throwing a birthday party for me: We have invited a few of my best friends to a “Boys only” party and she even prepared the food (my favorite): Rakfisk (fermented fish) for a starter, Smalahove (Head of Lamb) as the main dish and caramel pudding for dessert. We are in the middle of the party when this is posted – having the greatest time, enjoying our company and going down memory lane with good old memories from the past, almost 60 years. I’m sure I feel the same as I do when writing this: I must be the luckiest man in the world – so Happy Birthday to me and many, many years to come :-)